Research
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Research Summary
Despite many years of advancements in chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the majority of cancer patients succumb to their disease. In part, this state of affairs results from a “one-standard-treatment-for-all” approach that does not take into account the complexity of cancer as a disease. In this proposal, we are advancing the promise of personalized cancer care
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PROJECT 1: Ultrasound Therapy for Radiation Enhancement
Principal investigator: Dr. Gregory Czarnota We recently discovered that ultrasound-stimulated and microbubble (USMB)-mediated endothelial cellular perturbation can significantly enhance the effectiveness of radiation 40- to 60-fold in vivo. Data indicate that this synergy, which causes damage to tumour blood vessels, depends on acoustical stimulation and the involvement of the acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) pathway, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P),
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PROJECT 2: Ultrasound Therapy for Chemotherapy Enhancement
Principal investigators: Dr. Kullervo Hynynen and Dr. David Goertz The development of effective local cancer therapies has the potential to significantly alter outcomes and improve survival for patients with solid tumours. In particular, patients with breast tumours would greatly benefit from such a therapy. These patients represent an important cancer demographic due to the high
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PROJECT 3: Quantitative Ultrasound for Therapy Guidance
Principal investigators: Dr. Gregory Czarnota and Dr. Michael Kolios Quantitative ultrasound methods are based on frequency-dependent spectral analyses, which can be used to generate parameters that may be related to acoustic properties of tissues. These include parameters such as acoustic scatterer size, the concentration of scatterers, and higher-order parameters. We have demonstrated the applicability of
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PROJECT 4: Quantitative MRI for Therapy Guidance
Principal investigators: Dr. Greg Stanisz and Dr. Colleen Bailey Recently, the range of anti-cancer drugs and possible combinations with radiation and surgery has substantially increased the number of available treatments. Many are expensive and may be toxic, while their effectiveness remains uncertain. Techniques for identifying effective cancer treatments include genotyping, but the complexities of gene